The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities has signed an agreement for purchasing power generated by the Ninnescah Flats Solar Energy Center in Pratt County, Kan. Pratt County is located midway between Wichita and Dodge City in southern Kansas.

The generation facility is expected to come online in 2026, with a capacity up to 200 megawatts.

Solar power is generally cheaper to produce than natural gas. However, the intermittent availability of solar power and inability to generate it on-demand make it challenging to increase the share of overall energy from solar.

“BPU is focused on diversifying our energy mix and investing in sustainable resources,” said Andrew Ferris, chief financial officer at BPU. “This power purchase agreement is a significant step in that direction, helping us deliver reliable and cost-conscious power.”